Eventually an End
by une-fan-de-la-liturature
Summary: 19-year-old Ariadne Sloan is hired as an intern for an important scientist. When testing a mysterious machine that showed up at the lab, something goes wrong. Ariadne is somehow transported into the world of AOT and encounters titans, language barriers, soldiers, commanders, and perhaps even a bit of love. Will she ever get back home? slight AU? OC. WARNING: torture scenes plus
1. Arrival: Part 1

**Alrighty so this was a Writer's Challenge that I took on. The idea came from LockFlower so go look her up and read some of her stuff. Read and enjoy!**

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I walked across the lush green lawn of the university campus, making my way towards the science building. I was about to meet Dr. Wyatt Blackford, one of the most prestigious scientists in our modern world. I was so excited I could not contain myself. I had to do a little dance before I entered the large stone brick building, my many bracelets jingling loudly on my wrists.

When I walked in, I observed the huge lobby and the tiny desk which sat in the center. Behind the desk was a short and stubby looking woman reading a magazine. She had dark hair tied into an unyielding bun in the back of her head. Her nose was sharp and pointy with a pair of turquoise horn-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge. Her tight lips smacked noisily on a piece of gum, the sound echoing in the empty room.

I strolled up to her and adjusted the purse hanging by my hip. I read her name plate: Melissa Graden. I cleared my throat. "Um, excuse me," I said over the noise of her smacking.

She glanced up at me. "Yeah? Whadda you want?" she asked in a rough voice, immediately returning back to her magazine.

"Um, what room is Dr. Wyatt Blackford in?" I asked. "I'm the intern he hired last week and today is my first day." She peeked up at me again and looked me up and down, taking in my ripped jeans, brown patched bag, and my faded red t-shirt. I blushed and moved some of my honey colored hair out of my face. "Um, he said over the phone that I didn't have to dress up or anything," I explained, suddenly feeling self conscious.

"Uh-huh," was all she said. She turned her face back to her magazine. "Go down the hallway to your left and it'll be the third door down after the water fountain," she informed me without glancing back up.

"Thank you," I replied quickly and headed in the way she directed.

I arrived at the door and was about to knock when it opened. Standing before me was the scientist himself, Dr. Wyatt Blackford. I recognized him from his pictures. He was wearing a light blue buttoned up shirt and a pair of blue jeans. His hair, black, but peppered with flecks of gray, was messy and curling around his ears and covering his forehead. His green eyes were fixed on me. "Oh! Hello," he said warmly. "You must be Ariadne Sloan, correct?"

I nodded nervously and stuck out my hand. "Yep, that's me!" No! Too casual! Quick, I have to correct myself! "Uh, I mean-"

He smiled and shook my hand. "No need to be formal," he told me. "I was actually just coming to look and see if you had arrived yet." He waved me in. "Come on. I'll show you around the lab." He turned and I followed after him.

"Sir," I started, "I have to say, it is an honor working with you. I hope I can learn so much. I mean, I've read all of your books, but there is so much more I can learn just by working with you."

Dr. Wyatt stared at me. "You've read _all _of my books? And you understood them?"

I nodded sheepishly. "Y-yeah. I don't have them memorized, but yeah I did read them."

"Well, I'm impressed," he said putting a hand on his hip. "Go ahead and take a look around if you'd like." He gestured to a table. "Here, I have a bunch of little trinkets I've been playing with. They're not on the market yet, but I have tested them many times so they, for the most part, work."

"What's that one?" I asked pointing to what looked like a little piece of glass with lines going through it.

"So glad you asked!" Dr. Wyatt said animatedly. "This," he said proudly, "will change how we charge cell phones forever! It's a portable solar charger. You can hold it in your hand while it soaks up the sun's rays while it's connected to your phone." He handed it to me. "You can have this one if you would like. I have plenty more."

I gaped and took the seemingly delicate invention from his hand. "Are you serious? I can have this?"

He nodded. "Don't worry about breaking it though. It's a lot tougher than it looks."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "About me having this, I mean."

He nodded again and chuckled lightly. "Yes, I'm sure." His face lit up again. "Oh! I was just about to test a new machine. Would you like to come and watch?"

"Yes, sir!" I replied eagerly, putting the glass into my bag and zipping it closed.

"Follow me," he said. Together, we walked into a metal room. In the center of the room was a peculiar device. A cube-like shape was being supported by two short, metal pillars. It was glowing a dark blue and spinning slowly between the two pillars. "This is it!" Dr. Wyatt announced. "The Machine!"

"What does it do?" I asked kneeling down to get a closer look.

"Not sure yet," he replied honestly. "We were about to test it to see what it could do."

I looked at him confused. "What do you mean you aren't sure yet? You made it, right? Don't you know what you made it to do?"

He shook his head. "No, actually. This showed up at the lab one day with instructions on how to keep it in a safe place and what to do to activate it." He shrugged. "Nobody knows where it came from."

"Hm. Should we go ahead and test it then?" I asked straightening up.

"Yes. Let's." We walked out of the metal room and entered a separate room with a window into the metal one. While standing in front of the controls, Dr. Wyatt told me, "If anything happens, we have this thick chunk of glass separating us from it." He knocked on the glass with his knuckle. "It's 4 inches thick. We'll be safe."

I nodded and watched as he set the controls to their proper settings, turning switches and dials and pressing buttons. After several minutes of this, he turned to me. "Would you like to do the honors?"

"If you insist," I replied, reaching for the start button. This is only my first day and I'm already getting involved! I am working with a famous scientist, I have a new gadget, and I am helping with a new experiment. Could life get any better right now?

I pressed the button and instantly the cube began to glow and continued growing brighter as each second passed. I shielded my eyes because the light was so intense, but it was useless. Suddenly, I heard Dr. Wyatt cry out. The four inch thick glass had spider-webbed. That was when I saw the bolts of lightning shooting out of the cube in various directions.

Dr. Wyatt had crawled underneath the control counter. "Ariadne, get down!" he shouted at me, but it was too late. A bolt from the cube shot straight through the glass and right at me. I did not have enough time to scream.

All at once, the world went black. I could feel myself lying on…grass? Was I outside on the university campus again? I could not have fainted before even entering the building, could I have? I opened my eyes and found myself staring up at gigantic trees. Painfully, I made myself sit up. What happened? How did I get here? Where is _here_? This certainly was _not _the university campus grounds.

It took me a few minutes, but I finally remembered how I got here. Wherever _here _is. The experiment. The cube. The lightning. I do not remember arriving but I remember being in the lab and then showing up here.

I shook my head to try to clear it and stood up. Thankfully my bag was still hanging around me. _I could try to call somebody,_ I suggested to myself. I opened my bag and brought out my phone. _Drats! No signal! Where am I?_ Frustrated, I put my phone back into my bag and angrily zipped it closed.

I suddenly noticed large booming sounds. They came one right after the other, almost like footsteps. I realized they were getting closer. Closer. Closer. I had no time to think of what else they could possibly be before I saw it. It was giant! Quite literally a giant. I barely stood taller than its ankles. Its legs were as tall as a 3 story building. An enormous belly hung around its middle. Its skinny neck supported an enlarged head with horribly long teeth in its mouth. Oddly enough, it had short blond hair like a human. Its eyes were staring right at me.

I could not think of a better plan but to scream and run. No doubt my scream brought it chasing after me. I had no chance of outrunning it, but I had to do _something_ to try to survive. As its hand came close to grabbing me from the ground, I was picked up, but not by its hand. Instead I found myself being carried through the air by _someone_. Whoever they were, I wrapped my arms tightly around their neck and thanked them profusely. Then, I was sitting in one of the trees, high above the ground.

My rescuer gently set me down on the thick branch and looked at me. We both looked at each other, both surprised by the others' appearance. He was dressed in a white shirt and pants with a tan jacket covering his top. His brown boots came up to his knees. He had straps and belts all over his body which were connected to two contraptions on either side of his hips. His blond hair came down to his chin and his bright blue eyes were fixed on me, taking in the oddity of my own clothes.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

He stared at me confused. "(Huh? I don't understand you. Where are you from?)"

I stared at him confused. He spoke another language I did not understand. It sounded almost like German, but I could not be sure. "Where am I?" I asked, trying again.

"(I still don't understand you.)" he replied.

Suddenly, another person landed on the branch. She was dressed similar to the blond, but with a red scarf around her neck. "(Armin, who is this?)" the black haired female said to the blond male.

"(I don't know, Mikasa. I just saved her from that titan,)" he pointed down to the now steaming and half rotted carcass of which must have been the giant chasing after me, "(and I brought her up here. She doesn't understand anything I'm saying.)"

"(What do you mean she doesn't understand you?)" the woman replied.

"Please, could either of you just tell me where I am? Do any of you speak English? Parlez-vous français?" I asked desperately. They both stared at me blankly. "I don't know what's going on and I want to go home!" I was nearing tears. I could not help it. I was scared.

"(What should we do with her?)" The male faced his comrade.

The woman shrugged. "(Show her to the Corporal I guess. He might be able to do something.)" She walked towards me and indicated that I should hold onto her. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around her neck as she awkwardly carried me. Using the contraptions hanging at her hips, she shot two metal ropes out towards the other trees and we took off, the male following close behind.

Flying through the air this time was different. One, I was being uncomfortably held by someone much stronger than their comrade. Two, she was going so fast I could barely hold onto her. Since I was facing backwards to some degree, I saw other people had joined us in this flight through the air. They were shouting to each other in the language I did not understand.

After what seemed like an hour, we finally landed on the outskirts of the forest. The woman set me down and I wobbled on my stiff legs. Some of the people who we landed near, snickered at me, but quickly stopped when they realized how different I was compared to them. They were all wearing the same clothing as the blond male and the black haired female.

A short black haired man walked up to us. "(Who the hell is this?)" He demanded crossing his arms. "(Where did she come from?)"

I stood staring at him dumbly, unsure of what he said. "(We don't know, Corporal Levi.)" answered the blond man next to me. "(We rescued her from a titan that was about to eat her.)"

The short man uncrossed his arms and walked all around me, sizing me up. I stood nervously and held my arms close to my body, obviously showing my uneasiness at this man's actions. He stood right in front of me, glaring dark daggers into my own light colored eyes. "(What's your name?)" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders helplessly. "I… I don't understand… Please, does anybody here know what I'm saying?!"

He was taken aback for a moment. "(…Do you understand any of the words coming out my mouth?)" I stayed silent and looked down at my feet. I hated being center of attention. The short man sighed irritably. "(Ackerman! Arlert! Keep an eye on her until we get back to head quarters. Commander Erwin and I will have to talk about this one.)" He turned on his heels and marched away from our little group. I had no idea what was going to happen to me now.

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**Hope you liked it and will continue reading as the chapters come up. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to write a review!**


	2. Arrival: Part 2

**Here's the second chapter! Enjoy!**

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The black haired woman and the blond male escorted me to a cart and sat me down on a crate. Again the short, black haired man walked up to us while we sat down in the cart. "(We're going back inside the walls in a few hours. Better keep her hidden once we get nearby. I don't want people staring at this outsider.)"

"(Should we just cover her with a blanket then?)" asked the blond male.

"(What the hell,)" the shorter male said with a shrug. "(Just do something to keep her covered.)" Both of the soldiers saluted, holding their right fist to their chest and their other hand behind their back.

The short male walked away and saddled on his horse. "(Let's move out!)" he called to the rest of the troops, kicking his horse and making it run with great speed.

Our horse-drawn cart was following closer to the center of a small formation. It was a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride. To keep myself from falling out of the cart, I had to sit on the floor instead of the crate. My two rescuers sat across from me, also on the floor of the cart. The woman had her arms crossed under her breast and chatted irritably with her comrade.

"(I'm not mad because of we have to watch over this outsider,)" she replied with a sigh. "(I'm irritated because you and I have been assigned to this mission when I should have been protecting Eren.)"

"(Eren is busy doing things for Commander Erwin and Commander Pixis. He's in good hands,)" replied the blond. He sighed and turned to me. "(I think it'd be best if we at least learned her name,)" he said changing the subject. He pointed to himself. "(Armin. Armin Arlert.)" Then he gestured to his comrade. "(Mikasa Ackerman.)"

It took me a second to understand what he was getting at, but then I realized it was their names. "Armin and Mikasa," I repeated.

"(Yeah, that's it!)" the blond, Armin, said enthusiastically. He gestured to me, waiting to hear my name.

"Ariadne Sloan," I said pointing to myself.

Armin smiled and repeated my name. He nudged Mikasa and she eventually repeated my name as well. We rode the rest of the way in relative silence. There was not much we could talk about since we could barely understand one another. Armin had tried to keep somewhat of a conversation going between the three of us, but it failed after several minutes of frustrating language barriers. We were not getting anywhere.

So, we stayed quiet and let the bumpy ride carry us to wherever we were heading. I was sure they knew where we were going. It was nearly sunset when we went over a hill that overlooked our last stretch of travel. I had never seen walls that were so high. It had to have been at least eighty meters tall.

Mikasa stood and grabbed a sheet from the pile of supplies on the cart. "(Stay under this,)" she ordered and wrapped the sheet around me, hiding my face and clothes. I tried to peek out from under them so I could look more at the wall, but she swatted my hand away and adjusted the sheet again. "(Stay hidden!)" she growled at me. I sat still as we entered through the gate.

I could not seen anything as we entered but I could hear a lot of chatter. Of course, I could not understand any of it so it was useless. Eventually, most of the chatter faded and I could hear the creaking of large doors being opened. The horses were led clopping past the creaking doors until we stopped, the doors being shut behind us. The soldiers were all speaking to each other, yelling sometimes.

I did not move until the blanket was pulled off. I looked up to see someone new staring down at me. He was really tall, or that could have been because I was still sitting down on the floor of the cart. He was wearing the same uniform everyone else was, but he did not have the contraptions at his side and he was wearing a bolo tie around his neck. His eyes were a startling blue. His blond hair was perfectly parted to the side. This man seemed to reek of authority.

The man laughed when he saw me staring up at him. It was not a mean laugh, but I did like the sound of it. "(Where did you say you picked this girl up again, Levi?)"

"(I told you,)" said the short man turning up to stand beside the tall blond, "(two cadets saved her before a titan could eat her. She's obviously not from around here.)"

"(Yes, I gathered that.)" He looked up at the sky. "(Rain clouds are coming and so is the night. We can talk more in my office. Bring her with.)" He walked past the shorter man and hopped off the cart. He turned back and held his hand out for me to take it. I took his hand, it was rough and calloused, and he helped me off of the cart, the shorter man following behind me.

Finally I was able to get a good look around me. I was in a stone courtyard with horse stables off to one side and a larger building off to the other. Soldiers were walking everywhere. Where were Armin and Mikasa? They must have gone to do whatever else it was they needed to do.

We walked into the building and up a flight of stairs. The tall blond man was still in front of me, leading the shorter man and I through the building. There were only a few windows that I noticed. The blond man stopped in front of a wooden door, opened it, and walked in. We followed behind him. He gestured to a seat and I sat down. The shorter man crossed his arms and stood next to the other chair.

"(What do you think we should do with her, Erwin?)" asked Levi. "(Should we tell the higher ups about her?)"

"(You've hardly given me any time to think of _what _to do with her,)" he replied. "(All I can think of is leaving her here. Not like there is anywhere else she can go.)"

While they were speaking, I suddenly remembered I had an app on my phone that translated foreign languages. Why I had not thought of it until now, I had no clue. Quickly, I dug through my bag and pulled out my phone, turning on the app. I looked up to see them both staring at me. I blushed and shrank back a little. "Um, I have something that might be able to help us understand each other," I said awkwardly while holding up my phone.

"(What the hell is _that_?)" The shorter man said taken aback. He started to walk towards me.

"(Levi,)" the blond man said loudly. The shorter man, Levi, stopped. "(Sit down.)" Levi sat, crossing his arms again and putting his right ankle over his knee.

"Um," I continued, "I can type something in here and then it can say it out loud in your language. I believe you're speaking German so… Here goes nothing."

After typing a few sentences into my phone, I pressed the play button for the sound. _My name is Ariadne Sloan. I am 19 years old. I have no idea how I came here and have no idea how to get back. Please help me. _I had no idea what else I could say. I figured what I had was enough for them to understand.

Again, they both stared at me. They looked as if they had just heard a ghost. I typed into my phone again. _I'm guessing you guys don't have this sort of technology. Can you understand what I'm saying? _They both nodded. _Can you say something back?_ I stood and walked behind the blond man's desk and showed him how it worked. The shorter man was making me uncomfortable with his glare. Besides, the taller one seemed much friendlier.

Taking the phone from my hand, the blond man looked it over, amazed at the device he held in his palm. Slowly, he was able to type out a response. _I am Commander Erwin Smith. Captain Levi here told me you were attack by a titan. Is this true?_

_-Yes. Someone named Armin saved me._

_-Where do you come from? Do you know anything about titans?_

_-Another world is about all I can tell you. I don't know how to explain it. I know nothing of these titans._

Commander Erwin frowned. Levi was still sitting with his legs and arms crossed. "(What are you asking her, Erwin?)" he said.

"(Things you and I both want to know,)" Erwin replied. "(Isn't that obvious from her responses?)" Levi tched and stayed quiet. Erwin went back to typing. _Would you like to know why we stay inside the walls?_

_-I'm assuming to keep away from the titans?_

_-Precisely. We are the last of humanity. We as soldiers protect the walls and many of us die in the process. Some of us "lucky" ones go outside the walls on expeditions and kill as many titans as possible._

I read his last reply and paused. All the people inside these walls are the _last_ _of humanity?_ How could this be? Where did the titans come from? How does one kill a titan? I had so many questions, but I could not get them answered at that moment. I looked down at my phone to ask a questions, but my phone battery had died. Darn it all! Why did this have to happen now?!

Commander Erwin and Captain Levi were staring at me again. I sighed heavily and showed them the black screen, trying to indicate that my phone did not work right now. I still had the solar charger (if it was not crushed in anyway) that I could use tomorrow. For now, my phone was the only way I could communicate with anybody here.

Captain Levi uncrossed his arms and legs and stood up. "(I suppose that means we are done for tonight then,)" he said, turning to leave.

"(Not yet,)" Commander Erwin replied sternly.

Levi groaned. "(Now what?)"

"(She still needs a place to sleep.)"

"(Stick her in the girls dorms for all I care.)"

"(Levi.)" Erwin was appalled.

"(What do you expect me to do with her?)" Levi said throwing up his hands. "(We don't have any extra rooms, but I believe there are a few extra bunks in the dorms. She can sleep there.)"

Erwin shook his head. "(No, I don't think so.)" He shot a glance at me. "(Tell Hanji she'll be sleeping in the dorms until we find Miss Sloan a proper place to sleep.)" He paused. "(Oh, and tell her to set out another set of clothes for her. Clean ones,)" he added.

"(Yes, sir,)" Levi said turning and walking towards the door. He looked back at me and waved irritatingly at me to follow him.

About half an hour later I found myself alone in a bedroom that was not my own. The woman who let me borrow it was surprised to find Levi and I standing at her door this late at night. They conversed for a few minutes before she had the chance to say much to me. She was very animated. A pair of her clothes were left out for me to change into for tomorrow.

Sighing, I took my hair brush out of my bag and brushed out my hair for several minutes. Riding in the cart had gotten it all tangled. I put the brush away and sat down on the bed. I figured I might as well get some sleep. I unlaced my shoes, unbuttoned my jeans and took them off. I also had to take off the many bracelets on my wrists and put them onto the side table. Why I ever wore them I did not know. Pushing back the covers on the bed, I buried myself underneath the blankets and tried not to cry. I prayed that this was all a horrible nightmare and that I would wake up in my own bed on the same morning I was to go to Dr. Wyatt's laboratory. I was soon to find out this would not be the case.

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**I can't help but feel so bad for Ariadne. I empathize with her language barrier issue because of where I work (I work at a Chinese restaurant and I don't know any Chinese). It's all very frustrating. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this story so far because I'm having a lot of fun writing it. Don't forget to write a review! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Arrival: Part 3

I woke up that morning and found the sun shining in through my window. I stretched and slowly realized where I was, the memories of yesterday flooding back into my mind. I sighed and reached over to grab my bag and find the solar charger Dr. Wyatt had given me. I needed to charge my phone otherwise I would not be able to communicate with anyone. I plugged in my phone and set the charger on the windowsill.

While I was doing this, I had not noticed that someone else was in the room. I looked at the end of the bed to find the woman from last night. She was leaning on the foot rest, staring at me and saying nothing. A small smile crept on her face when I jumped at her sudden presence. How long had she been standing there? "(Did you sleep well?)" she asked cheerfully. She adjusted her glasses and waited for me to reply.

"Uh, sorry," I said stupidly, covering my bottom half with the blankets. "I don't understand."

The woman slapped her forehead lightly. "(Oh right! Levi-Heichou said you didn't talk like us. I forgot about that.)" She laughed and adjusted the glasses on her face. "(Anyway, there's a shower in there if you want to clean yourself up before breakfast. I'll be waiting out here.)" She pointed to the bathroom door on the other side of the room then settled herself on the end of the bed.

I reached for my jeans on the floor and quickly put them on underneath the blankets. I was not about to expose myself to some stranger, even if I was borrowing their room. I walked to the desk and grabbed the clothes that had been laid out for me. I also grabbed my bag and headed toward the bathroom. After showering and getting dressed in the clean clothes, I took a look at myself in the tiny mirror. I looked well rested, but I was still scared. The fear seemed to not want to leave me for whatever reason. Although, it was fairly obvious why I would be uneasy. Did the Titans ever get inside the walls? How thick were those walls anyway? I was not able to see the thickness of the fortress because I was hidden under the blanket. I sighed and adjusted the pants, feeling slightly uncomfortable. They were just a tad small.

When I finished in the bathroom, the woman was still on the bed. She was sprawled out across the mattress. She looked up when she heard me open the door. "(Ah, good! You look much better now.)" She got up and handed me a pair of brown boots similar to her own. "(They keep extra pairs of boots downstairs. I compared your shoes to the ones there and found a pair close to your size.)"

I thanked her and put on the boots, wondering what kind of shoes normal people in this world wear. I then remembered my phone. Looking towards the window, I found the devices still there, untouched. Surprisingly, my phone was already fully charged. It could not have been more than thirty minutes that I was in the bathroom. I left it plugged in and turned on to the translator app. _Thank you for the shoes. What is your name? I'm Ariadne._

The woman raised her eyebrows high and stared curiously at the phone in my hand. Like I had done with Commander Erwin, I showed her how to use the app. She learned quickly and soon had out a response. _Commander Hanji Zoe, at your service! I have so many questions to ask! But first, we should head down to breakfast._

_ -Are you sure? I can answer some now. _

_ -No, unfortunately they will have to wait a few minutes. _She sighed sadly. _Commander Erwin insists that you sit with the rest of us commanders during the meal so we can all ask questions. _My stomach growled. I had completely forgotten about eating food. I was so disturbed by yesterday's events that I had not even thought of quenching my hunger or thirst. Hanji laughed lightly. _Follow me and we'll get something to eat. _I took the phone and charger from her and put it into my pocket before following Hanji out of the bedroom.

I could smell the food before we even got there. It did not smell the greatest, but it smelled decent. We entered the dining hall. It was larger than I thought it needed to be, but there were plenty of tables and benches full of people already eating and chatting. Hanji yelled a cheery greeting to everyone. All the eyes in the room turned to stare at us. I took a small step back and avoided everyone's gaze. Immediately, whispers spread across the room. Whether they whispered or not, it did not matter. I could not understand them anyway, but I did understand they were talking about me.

Hanji turned back to me, grabbed my hand, and dragged me towards the line to get food. Two gray lumps smothered with black flecked, gray liquid flooded a plate and was handed to me. I figured the food that was put on my tray was a poor excuse for biscuits and gravy, but I did not complain. It was food, I supposed. I was thankful there was a basket of apples and happily took one. Even as we went through the line, I could feel all eyes on my back.

I continued to follow Hanji to the senior officer's table. Commander Erwin and Corporal Levi were already sitting down along with a few others. The only available seating at the table was between Hanji and Erwin so I went ahead and sat down. Levi stared intensely at me, as if he was trying to study me or something. It made me feel even more self-conscious than I already felt.

"Morning," I said awkwardly to everyone at the table, trying to make some sort of conversation. Nobody seemed know what to reply. I turned red and stared down at the lumps on my plate.

"(I like this one already,)" Hanji said happily to Erwin. "(She's staying with us right?)"

Erwin took a swig from his coffee mug. "(For the time being. Not like we really have anywhere else we can put her for now.)"

"(Do we tell the Interior about her?)" asked Levi, taking a bite out of his own lumpy breakfast.

Erwin shook his head. "(No, not yet. I have a bad feeling about telling them about Miss Ariadne. For as long as we can I feel as if we should keep her here.)"

I sighed. "Not trying to be rude here, but I have my phone if you have questions to ask me." I took my phone out of my pocket and opened up the app again. _Since I'm here among you commanding officers, go ahead and ask me the things you've been wanting to ask._

Erwin took the phone from my hand and typed a reply, quicker than when he had last night. _Can you explain how you arrived here?_

Briefly, I explained as much as I could. It was hard to summarize everything in such a little space on the app. There was only so many characters I could type in. I was also unsure of how much they would understand, since my world was so different from theirs.

_Are there any Titans in your world? _Was the next question from Levi.

I shook my head no. _We don't have anything like that. Most things we fear are large animals and serious diseases._

All the officers furrowed their eyebrows as if having a Titan-less world was hard to imagine. Erwin had the phone again. _Our goal in our branch of the military, the Survey Corps, is to eradicate the Titans and free humanity from them forever. Were their ever any Titans in your world?_

I shook my head again. _No. There are people who are over 7 feet tall, but they aren't Titans. _I wondered if he was thinking that if their were Titans in my world, how did we destroy them? Could I have been any help in that way if that were the case?

All of the officers shifted uncomfortably at my response, as if they were all thinking of the same thing. "(Should we mention Titan-Shifters like Eren?)" asked Hanji.

"(Maybe later,)" suggested Levi. "(Now is not the time for that.)"

It was my turn to ask a few questions. Of course, as soon as I was about to ask them, I forgot what they were. I read over Erwin's response again since it had not been erased yet. _What are the other branches of military? Do they not have the same goals as the Survey Corps?_

_ Yes and no_, replied Hanji. _The Garrison takes care of the walls and protects them from Titan attacks. They also help evacuate people if the walls are ever breached._ That had answered my question form earlier. The walls _have _been broken through before. What happened? I kept this question in the back of my head.

Levi snatched the phone out of her hands, earning a disappointed groan from Hanji. _The Military Police are the ones who are in the innermost walls. They don't do much. They're also known to abuse their power so stay away from them._

Hanji snatched it back. _As I was saying, the Garrison has similar goals to us Survey Corps members, but they do not go outside the walls like we do.. _She gave an empowered grin to Levi. He ignored her.

It was my turn to have the phone. _How did the titans come around? Does anybody know?_

Hanji smiled brightly. _We don't know exactly know how they came around, but we have learned some things about them! Want to know?_

All the other commanders were shaking their heads and signaling to me to say no. I looked over at Hanji and found her quivering with anticipation to my answer and hope filling her eyes that I would say yes. However, I was unable to give my answer, when someone else walked into the room. He was dressed like the rest of the soldiers, but the insignia on his tan jacket was different from the wing-like design on everyone else's. Instead of the wings, the jacket had two roses stitched into the cloth. The man was bald, with many wrinkles around his golden eyes. A grey mustache covered his upper lip. He also had on a bolo tie, similar to Erwin's.

"(Commander Pixis,)" Commander Erwin stood and greeted the man with a handshake, "(what brings you here during our mealtime?)"

"(I'm here on a report from one of my men,)" he replied, putting his hands behind his back. "(Is there something you're keeping from me, Erwin? Something that must have been picked up on on the last expedition.)"

Commander Erwin furrowed his eyebrows and blocked the man's view of me. "(What were you told?)"

"(I was told you found another titan shifter among your numbers. Is this true?)"

Erwin and the other officers shifted uncomfortably. "(I'm afraid I have no idea what you're getting to, Commander. I believe you heard wrong.)"

The man laughed and shook his head. "(I guess I have.)" He pointed to his ears. "(These aren't what they used to be. It comes with getting older.)" He quickly turned on his heels and stalked out of the room, waving good bye as he left. He paused in the doorway and stared back seriously to Erwin. "(I would keep your company in check. You never know what other trials may come upon them.)" With those last words, he departed.

The rest of breakfast went by slowly and awkwardly. Nobody said a word, nor did they feel like talking. I assumed they were all thinking about what the bald man said. None of them wanted to translate. Even Hanji had calmed down. I was going to ask her about the titans again, but it did not seem like the time to do so. Once the meals had been cleared and the dishes cleaned, all the soldiers went about their own duties. Erwin and Levi made me follow them again, making their way back to Erwin's office.

"(What the hell was that suppose to mean?)" Levi said crossing his arms and standing beside a chair. He was talking about what Commander Pixis had said earlier. I sat down in the other chair, listening quietly.

"(It was a warning for something,)" Erwin replied, sitting down behind his desk. He glanced at me then back to Levi. "(What _do _we do with her? The way it seems is that the Garrison has already gotten word that we have an outsider.)"

Levi nodded. "(We could just put her to work like one of the cadets.)"

"(That's the problem though,)" Erwin said with a sigh. "(She doesn't _look_ like the rest of them. Not to be rude to her, but she doesn't seem to be physically strong like the rest of them.)"

"(Either way, she's going to have to blend in somehow.)"

Erwin sighed again. "(Alright, alright. You win. Let her clean or something,)" he gave in with a shrug.

Suddenly, the office door burst open. "(Commander Erwin, sir!)" a soldier dressed in the usual uniform said from the doorway. "(A letter came for you. It's urgent that you read it now.)" The soldier crossed to the room to his desk and handed him an envelope. She glanced curiously at me before saluting and then leaving.

I hated not knowing what was going on. It was so frustrating that I was not able to use my phone for all the translating. I wish I did not have to type everything out to have it translated. It was slow and aggravating. But as I watched Erwin's face as he read the letter he received, I sensed something was wrong and it had to deal with me.

"(What is it?)" Levi asked leaning on the desk.

Erwin looked up slowly as he comprehended what he just read. "(Somehow,)" he replied in disbelief, "(the Interior has already learned of Ariadne and they want to have her arrested and detained until we can prove she is not a Titan Shifter.)" They both turned to look at me. I gulped.

* * *

**And I shall leave it there for now. What do you think will happen to Ariadne now? Tell me in a review!**

**Sorry I had to leave it at a cliffhanger, but this chapter was already getting too long for my taste so I cut it short. Hope you enjoyed anyway! Please write a review!**


	4. The Plan

_ "(Somehow,)" he replied in disbelief, "(the Interior has already learned of Ariadne and they want to have her arrested and detained until we can prove she is not a Titan Shifter.)"_

Levi stared at Erwin, obviously taken aback. "(How could they have learned that already? She hasn't even been here for 24 hours!)"

Erwin shrugged unsurely. "(I don't know.)" He glanced back up at me. "(Well she'll have to know sooner or later, and sooner is now.)" He gestured that he wanted the phone from me. I handed it to him. After several tense minutes of slow typing, I was finally able to hear what Erwin was wanting me to know. His face was grave as I read it, but I could not comprehend what he was trying to say. What is a Titan Shifter and why would they want to arrest me? I replied about my confusion.

Erwin sighed and turned to Levi. "(Again, the question comes up: What do we do with her?)"

"(Answer her question before we start discussing that again)," Levi replied taking the phone from him. _We didn't want you to know just yet, but now that the situation has gone the way it has, we have no choice. Recently, we discovered that there are some humans who can transform into Titans. How they can do this, we don't know yet._

_ -But that's impossible! How could _I _be one? I'm only human! _If I was speaking this, I would have sounded distressed. I was sure the look on my face was enough to get my reaction across.

-_The Interior wants to make sure. We've had problems before with Titan Shifters. Especially Recently. _Levi was looking pale.

-_In the meantime, we'll look for an alternative for your confinement. _Erwin stared at me determinedly. _As of now, stay with either me, Levi, or Hanji. Don't go wandering about by yourself and don't try to talk to anyone else. Leave your safety to us._

I was not sure if I felt grateful for them protecting me, but I had no other choice but to do so. Were the people in the Interior walls as bad as the Commanders were telling me? They must be if this was happening. I was indecisive. Even if I went into the Interior's custody, what would they do to me? I had no clue of their laws or their customs so there was no way to be sure of my own security.

Erwin and Levi continued their own conversation. "(Could we still put her to work and hide her among the cadets?)" Levi asked. "(She may not look physically strong as you said earlier, but I'm sure she's good for something.)"

"(You're suggesting we hide her,)" Erwin said leaning back in his chair.

Levi nodded. "(Isn't that what you were thinking? What else can we do if we don't want to hand her over to the Interior?)"

Erwin sighed and crossed his arms. "(I haven't the faintest clue.)" He glanced back at me, sizing me up once again. He grabbed the phone and started typing. _What skills do you have? What are you able to do?_

_ -I'm a scientist in training. I don't know how much help that will be around here though._

_ -You and Hanji will get along well then. She too is a scientist…of sorts. She studies Titans, but she hasn't learned much more than we already know._

Levi had the phone now. _If she asks you again if you want to know some things about Titans, say no as politely as you can. She loves the damn bastards so much she would love to be one._

I furrowed my eyebrows. _Odd… I thought Titans were your enemies._

_ -They are, _Erwin replied, _but she enjoys capturing them and performing experiments on them. Some say she gets too much enjoyment out of it. _Erwin's face lit up, as if he had just thought of something important. "(Levi, we need to reply to the Interior.)"

"(Shit! I figured they would want an answer.)" He looked from me to Erwin. "(Just tell them no, Erwin. It's not like they haven't denied the Survey Corps anything before.)"

"(It's one thing for them to say no to me, but for me to turn it around like that is different.)" Erwin stood and went to look out the window behind him, turning away from Levi and me. "(I suppose we'll just have to let them do what they did with Eren.)" He sighed heavily. "(Just this time, don't beat her to a pulp in the court room like you did to him. I don't think Ariadne will heal as fast as he did.)"

"(So just like that you're going to let them have her?)" Levi asked.

"(It's not like I want it to happen,)" Erwin replied defensively. "(This time we'll make sure they don't take things too far.)" He turned around and faced us again, his hands held behind his back. "(What tie do I have to her anyway? She's not from here.)"

"(Granted, but why the sudden change?)" Levi asked curiously. "(When she got here, you were all, 'Keep her hidden! Blah, blah, blah. Shit, the Interior knows? Welp, time to give her up.')"

Erwin glared at Levi. I cowered back a little in my chair. His face was intimidating with that expression. "(When the courts find out that she's completely useless and that they've wasted their time on her, then most likely she'll be given back to us. The last part may or may not come true, but at least she will be out of prison and the Interior.)"

Levi sat forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees, his face intense. "(Do you really think that they will keep her alive once they find out they wasted their time with her?)" he whispered sternly. "(I'm not sure what's gotten into you, Erwin, but you're disillusioning yourself. You and I know these people better than Ariadne. They won't hesitate.)"

The Commander rubbed his eyes and once again sighed. "(We could have Commander Pixis keep an eye on her. And tell them not to do anything with or to her without my permission.)"

"(About time you used your authority to your advantage,)" Levi said with a light-hearted chuckle. "(So what's the plan then? Do you have one?)"

"(Yes, I believe I have an idea or two,)" Erwin replied, sitting back down in his chair. As they talked, I continued to space in and out of attention. It was almost pointless to focus since I could not understand anything anyway. I was thinking about my family and wondered if they missed me. I wondered if any time was passing by in my world, like it is sometimes explained in books. For example, in _The Chronicles of Narnia,_ hardly no time passes in our world when thousands of years have passed in the fictional universe. A firm, "(Ariadne,)" from Erwin pulled me out of my daydreaming.

"Huh? What? Oh, sorry," I apologized sheepishly.

He began typing on the phone again. _We've decided to go ahead and let the Interior take you into custody._

I gawked at his statement. What?! They were going to let me go to these people they said to never trust?! _I don't understand?, _I replied. _I thought you weren't going to let them do that?_

_ -Before you get angry at us for changing our mind so quickly, it is for your own good. We can ensure your safety within the Interior, even if we are not there._

I did not like the sound of this. I may have not known these people for long, but I liked them much better than what I was told of those in the innermost walls. _How? How do you know that I will be safe?_

_ -We will constantly visit you until they decide what to do with you. Right now, it looks as if they are just going to put you on trial. Any harm that comes to you, will be taken care of. I can order them to not hurt you. _Like that was reassuring, I thought sarcastically. _Remember the man that came in this morning during the mealtime?_

I nodded. _What about him? Is he a good guy?_

Erwin nodded. _He's a friend of mine. You can trust him. I will have him be checking up on you as well._

Levi stood. "(I will go and make sure our ride is ready for us to depart.)" He saluted before leaving Erwin and I alone in the office. His sudden disappearance made me realize how empty it was in here, besides the desk, chairs, and the bookshelves.

Erwin quickly explained why Levi left in such a hurry. _We will be leaving as soon as Levi tells us to go ahead. In the meantime, gather whatever you brought with you and meet back here._ He waved me out and gave me back my phone. I pocketed it and left the office, feeling unsure.

I arrived back to Hanji's room and entered after knocking and receiving no response. I shut the door and leaned against it, feeling overwhelmed. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw myself against the bed and sob until I had nothing left. I was stressed needed some kind of relief. But I did not have time for that. I was to be put in jail for suspicions that I am something that I am not. I went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, hoping that would relax me somewhat. I looked in the mirror above the sink and took in my reflection. My honey colored hair hung abnormally limp on the sides of my face while my pale blue eyes looked troubled. I was a mess.

I went back into the bedroom and grabbed my hair brush to pull my hair in a ponytail. I decided I would leave my bracelets on the night stand next to the bed. I did not think I would need them any time soon. I put my own clothes back into my bag along with the solar charger and my brush. Quickly, I scanned the room to see if I had left anything behind. Slinging my bag over my shoulder and adjusting it at my hip, I left the room, shutting the door with a slam.

I wanted to drag my feet back to Commander Erwin's office, but I knew that probably would not be a good idea. I was not suppose to be alone anywhere in the first place. Prolonging my doom would just make things worse. As soon as I entered the office, Erwin was already standing and heading toward the door himself. "(Oh, there you are,)" he said "(I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten lost.)" He smiled slightly at me. We stood awkwardly for a few moments before he gently held my arm and led me to the courtyard.

Levi was standing beside the dark green carriage with his arms crossed. He approached Erwin and whispered some things to him. Erwin nodded and then helped me into the carriage. He got in beside me and shut the door. The two horses attached to the buggy were neighing quietly and stomping their hooves, eager to move. After several minutes of waiting, the buggy lurched forward and we were off.

I kept my bag in my lap and stared down at it for a long time. I did not like the buggy. It was cramped and I felt every bump in the road. It was just as bad as the ride in the cart from yesterday. Even with the windows open, it was hot and stuffy. Erwin did not seem to care. It took me a while, but I realized how close he was sitting to me. Our thighs were touching and on several occasions, my hand slipped off of my lap and onto his. _No, I was not doing it on purpose._ The carriage was just really bumpy.

I did not really calculate how long of a ride it was, but during the whole ride, Erwin and I did not speak a word to each other. Both of us were quiet. I did not dig out my phone to try to have a conversation and he did not ask for it. It was a very long ride.

* * *

**And that concludes this chapter. What do you think will happen to Ariadne now? Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!**

**As a side note, I have school starting up again soon so I may or may not get chapters out as soon as I would like. Along with band and homework, it'll be hard to find time to write this fic. Don't worry though! I won't forget to update every once in a while! Like I did with my FMA story, I'll try to update at least once a month.**

**I might as well just rename this to "What Do We Do with Ariadne?" like for goodness' sake.**


	5. Trial

After several hours of traveling, we finally entered another majestic gate and we were immediately inside another city. However, this city was more vibrant and sanitary than the city we just departed. Many people were out walking in the warm afternoon sun. The women were wearing beautiful dresses down to their ankles while the men wore crisp, black suits that matched their spotless shoes. I gawked at their clothing, finding it fascinating.

I leaned on my elbows and watched out the small door window. "Wow, I wish I could fit into something like that," I breathed as I watched a woman walk by wearing a mint colored dress with white lace gloves, hat, and an umbrella to match.

Erwin pulled me back down into the seat. "(We're almost there,)" he told me, crossing his arms again and leaning back into the hard cushion.

I pouted for a moment, but then continued to stare out of the window. I was getting antsy. I needed something to distract my mind from my impending doom. My fingers tapped nervously on my knees in various rhythms. I thought of starting a conversation with Erwin, but I had nothing on my mind but going to prison. After a while, I finally thought of a question to ask him. _What are they going to do to me when we arrive?_

_ -They will most likely take you down through the customs and then put you in a cell. Then tomorrow or the day after is your trial._

I frowned. A new problem occurred to me. _Will I be able to have my things with me?_

_ -I'm not entirely sure. This contraption of yours maybe, just so you can speak, but I doubt the other things you will have with you. However, I can't guarantee anything._

_ -Great. This is sounding better and better each moment._

_ -You'll be safe, _he assured me. _I personally will make sure you are not harmed._

I had to admit, that was a huge comfort. He seemed as if he knew what he was doing. What choice did I have but to trust him? _Thank you so much. For everything that you have helped me with so far._

_-Don't thank me just yet. Wait until all of this is over. Then see about thanking me._ I looked at him and he looked at me. I could not tell if he wanted to smile or not. He did not seem like he was joking.

The carriage lurched forward and halted. We had finally arrived. I tried glancing out the window again to see where exactly we had arrived, but all the buildings here looked the same to me.

Erwin opened the door on his side and stepped out, turning back to help me down. Three more men in uniform greeted us as we exited the carriage. Instead of the wing-like or rose design the other uniforms had, these uniforms had green unicorn heads.

When I had exited the carriage, I looked at the three men standing before us. The one standing in the middle was the ugliest of the three. A big nose took up the center of his face, while two beady eyes were nearly covered by his eyebrows. A bushy brown beard hid the rest of his features. I did not really look at the other two. He approached Erwin as the other two came to me and roughly grabbed my arms, and began to pull me away.

"Hey! Wait!" I cried, struggling in their grip. "Erwin!"

"(We can take it from here,)" the man said to my companion.

"(I hope my orders were made clear,)" Erwin replied sternly, glancing my direction for a moment as I yelled his name again. "(She is not to be harmed unless stated otherwise.)"

The man waved his hand. "(Don't worry about her. We'll take good care of her.)" His voice trailed off. Erwin narrowed his eyes, distrusting the man's words.

By this point, I was already past the doorway into the large building. I managed to cry out another "Erwin!" before the doors were slammed shut behind us and I was continually dragged down the stone hallway. Once I was out of the Commander's sight, the soldier on my right took the opportunity to hit the back of my head with something hard. The pain lasted for a second and then everything went black.

* * *

When I awoke, I found myself in a cold stone cell, lying on an uncomfortable bed. I had chains around my wrists. It was dark, save for the lantern on the other side of the bars. Looking down at myself, I found I was still wearing Hanji's clothes. Inwardly, I sighed in relief, thankful that no one had stripped me and changed my clothing into some kind of prison garb. I slowly allowed myself to sit up, my head throbbing with the effort.

There was not much to the cell itself. It was musty and smelled of mold. I could make out the shape of growing fungus on the walls. Rough metal bars across from where I sat were blocking the only way out of the small room. The only sounds I could hear were my own breathing, the clanking of the chains, and water dripping somewhere.

Thinking of the water made me recognize my own thirst. I had not drunken, nor eaten, anything since I had left the Survey Corps Headquarters. My mouth and throat were extremely dry. I scanned the room, looking for my bag and hoping that I had an unopened bottle of water in it to quench my thirst. I could not see the brown satchel anywhere.

Then I heard the creaking of a door opening, followed by footsteps. The man who had earlier approached Erwin came into my view. I thought he was ugly before, but the darker light did not make it much better. I noticed he held my bag in his meaty hands.

"(About damn time you woke up,)" he said gruffly. "(You've been asleep for a day and a half.)" I stared at him blankly, but he took my confusion for disrespect. He slammed his hand on the bars, making them (and myself) rattle. "(Well say something you half-witted bitch!)"

"I-I'm sorry," I said quietly, my throat hoarse from not having water. "I can't understand you. Could you give me my bag and then we'll be able to communicate better…?" I knew he would not have understood me, but I supposed he wanted a verbal response, so I said something and pointed toward the satchel.

He sighed irritably. "(What is this a joke?)" He dug into his pocket and pulled out a key to unlock the cell door. "(We've been waiting for you to wake up. The court expects you today.)" He entered the cell and made his way towards me.

Unsure of his intentions, I scrambled away from him, but the chains on my wrists did not allow me to go far. I screamed when he made a grab for me. I saw him raise his fist and saw it come down hard, hitting me across my face. I paused in shock, pain radiating through my cheek. Taking this moment, the man held my wrists and unlocked the chains, but then put handcuffs on instead, my arms behind my back. In my confusion to his actions, he led me out of the cell and through more corridors.

A few more soldiers joined in escorting me to wherever we were going. After a while, it occurred to me where we were headed because I remembered what Erwin had told me. Something about putting me on trial…? For what I could not think of. My head still throbbed. How long had I been asleep? One would think that any amount of sleep would get rid of a headache.

Eventually, the stone hallways turned into smooth, copper colored wood ones. I was led towards a set of wooden double doors. They creaked when they opened. Mentally, I wondered if any of the doors or gates in this world _did not_ creak when they opened.

I paused for a moment when the doors stood ajar to the courtroom, but I was pushed forward and stumbled over my feet before catching my balance and making my way towards the center of the room, my cheeks ablaze with embarrassment. I was amazed at how many people were sitting in the room. I caught sight of Commanders Erwin and Hanji, Corporal Levi, Armin, and Mikasa sitting on the right side of the room. I had no idea as to who the other people in the room were. _Why was I here again?_

At the front of the room, a large, tall stage with an area for the judge took up the whole side. To my left were benches full of people in the same uniform as my escorts. I was stopped in the center of the floor and forced to sit on my knees. A pole was pulled out of the tile and fitted between my handcuffed arms. It was a very uncomfortable position to be in. _Think, you stupid brain! What was the reason they wanted to put you on trial?!_

Everyone stood when the Judge entered the room and sat down when he sat. The man was older, his hair gray and beard white. His soft brown eyes scanned the room from behind a pair of silver glasses. He perched the glasses on his nose and picked up a piece of paper from the desk in front of him and read it thoughtfully. No one in the courtroom spoke as he did this.

The Judge cleared his throat. "(Well, shall we begin?)" he said, looking up from the paper. "(Once again we have before us a Titan Shifter. Or at least that's what this sheet says from our conversation earlier this afternoon. However, the Survey Corps denies that the woman here is one and would like to have custody of her to train her to serve humanity.)" He glanced over at Commander Erwin then at the Military Police. "(On the other hand, the Military Police would like to have custody of her and then experiment to test their theory of her true identity. Am I wrong? This is what we established before the subject came in this evening.)"

All of the officials confirmed the Judge's claims. The Judge turned to me. "(Although I believe I have already come to a verdict, I will give you a chance to speak up for yourself and ask you directly. Are you, or are you not a Titan Shifter?)" _I remember now._

I sank down and looked at the floor. I was not able to reply to anything he said without causing a ruckus in the courtroom because of my language. I kept my mouth shut, hoping and praying that someone from the Survey Corps would speak up for me.

"(Well? Are you or aren't you?)" the Judge prompted me. I could feel his patience wearing thin and everyone's eyes on me. I continued to stare at the tiled floor, keeping silent. Why didn't anyone in the Survey Corps say anything? Were they waiting for me to reply in my foreign tongue so everyone would know? How come the Judge did not know of the language barrier? "(Very well then,)" said the Judge before I could begin to say anything. "(Because the subject has refused to answer the question, she will go to the Military Police for experimentation on her person. That is my final decision.)" He slammed his gavel down on the desk, stood, and then left.

I looked over at Erwin with a questioning gaze. He stared back at me with a sad and frustrated expression. I felt as if I had done something wrong. I should have said something. Would I not be allowed to stay at the Survey Corps Headquarters now? What would happen to me?

I felt some people behind me, lowering the pole and then roughly pulling me upwards. I was practically dragged out of the courtroom. People with the green unicorn head patches surrounded me and hauled me back down into the cell where I had been in before. They pinned me down to the mattress as I tried to fight them off. I did not want the chains on my wrists again. Several times I was hit in either my face or stomach or anywhere else they figured would hurt (which was anywhere). I screamed, but they shoved cloth into my mouth to muffle my cries.

Finally, after much struggle, I was left alone. Tears fell slowly and silently down my face. The chains were tightly clamped around my wrists, tighter than they had been. I was still very thirsty and hungry. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**I hoped you liked reading this chapter. I didn't want to base this trial too much like Eren's because it of course is a different story. And to kinda explain what the Judge was talking about (in case it was confusing) was that before Ariadne had woken up, the Survey Corps and the Military Police had already given their cases as to why they should have custody instead of the other branch. When she finally woke up, she was allowed to speak for herself (even though we all know was impossible because of the language barrier).**

**Anyway, please write a review! PLEASE. WRITE. A. REVIEW. I greatly appreciate it when people do that. :D What kind of experiments do you think they will conduct on Ariadne to find out the truth? Tell me your theories and I'll tell you if you're close or incorrect! Thanks for reading!**

**Edit: This will be the last chapter until next month. Starting then I will only have time to update once or twice a month. Again thank you for reading. :)**


	6. Rescue: Part 1

**I am going to warn you now, this chapter has the torture scene. If you can not handle this sort of thing, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER. HEED MY WARNING WHEN I SAY IT IS A TORTURE SCENE. Or if like, you don't want to read that part then you can just skip past it. If this sort of thing is alright with you, then I am not stopping you from reading this.**

**You have been warned.**

* * *

I was unsure of when I awoke, but I was awaken by someone gently sitting me up and pressing something to my lips. Greedily, I held tightly onto the cup and gulped down every last drop. Someone took the cup from me when I was finished. The insignia on her jacket told me she was Military Police, but she did not seem as cold hearted as the other soldiers. She looked as if she was not much older than myself. She had extremely short, black hair next to her scalp. Her brown eyes looked so innocent it made me think of a baby animal. Her dark skin matched the tan of her uniform. Just her presence made me feel calmer.

In her lap she held a tray with the empty cup and a bowl of thin soup. I was ravenous. I could only remember eating the lumpy biscuits and gravy however long ago that was. She insisted to spoon feed me, but I was impatient. I had to physically restrain myself from grabbing the bowl and slurping it all down in one gulp, but I feared I would spill the soup I so badly wanted to eat. After a few spoonfuls of it, I reasoned it was probably better that I eat slower. I wanted this to last as long as it could before the Military Police did something else to me.

When the bowl of soup was finished and licked clean (by myself of course), my newfound companion gestured to herself. "(Espyon.)"

"Ariadne," I replied after repeating her name. "Thank you so much for the meal." I still felt hungry and thirsty, but I figured I would be getting another meal later. However, I did not hope for much.

She smiled at me then stood up. She went to the cell door and looked down both ways of the corridor before returning to my side. "(From Erwin,)" she said reaching into her pocket and handing me a small piece of paper.

I unfolded it and squinted my eyes in the lack of light to read it quietly. Surprisingly enough it was in English. It read: _Ariadne, I am using your device to help me write this to you. Thanks to Espyon, I have your possessions. You need not worry about anything. In the meantime, wait for me to come get you. I cannot promise when that will be. More notes to come. ~Commander Erwin_

I read it over several times, still in shock that he had written in English. I gave the note back to Espyon and she shoved it back into her pocket. She held her hand up to me and then left the cell quietly, locking the door behind her. She was obviously a person of few words. Either that or she did not want to bother me with the language barrier.

So Erwin was coming to get me? I wondered how he was ever going to accomplish that. Especially since I am completely hidden from the outside. It would take him _ages_ to get in here. And the only way in and out of this cell was the door. As far as I knew, I was in an interior cell underground.

I stood up and stretched, the chains rattling loudly as I lifted my arms. I had not noticed the chains were lengthened. I walked as far as I could toward the doorway, stopping at least a foot away from it. When I heard the door at the end of the hall open, I scrambled back to the far wall. By the time I had reached the far wall, two soldiers were already standing at the entrance and unlocking the door. The little bit of light shadowed their faces, making them more terrifying as they grabbed for me.

They unlocked the chains around my wrists and began to drag me out of the room. I resisted by thrashing around as much as I could, but that only rewarded me a punch to my gut. They continued to pull me further into the building through various corridors and down several sets of stairs. Finally, we arrived in a dark, cellar-like room. Two more people in white lab coats greeted us. On either sides of the walls were assortments of torture devices. Most of them I had no clue how they would use and I did not want to find out.

"(Strip it of the clothing,)" said one of the men dressed in the lab coat. The soldiers grabbed the sleeves and collar of my shirt and ripped it off of me. I screamed and tried to cover myself, but they continued and tore the pants and the rest of my clothing until I was wearing nothing. I began to cry, my dignity gone with the clothing.

A table with bindings sat in the center of the room. They forced me onto the table and eventually were able to get my limbs tied down. I hated it. Even with the bindings, I continued to thrash and try to break the table in some way and grant me some bit of freedom. One of them grabbed my hair and pulled me back down hard onto the table.

"(This one sure likes to move,)" stated one of the men in a lab coat.

"(Those are the fun ones,)" said the other. "(Shall we get started then?)" he suggested, going for a jagged blade from the wall. My eyes widened at the sight of it. I could not tell if the stains on the metal were dried blood or rust. Either way, it was going to hurt.

"Please!" I cried desperately. "Please don't…! AAAAAHHHHHH!"

He had taken the blade and run it all the way down my middle, splitting open the skin on my chest down to my abdomen. Blood flowed evenly and heavily out of my body, dripping off of my skin and onto the table. My body was on fire with pain. They stood back and watched as if waiting for something to happen as I cried out even more.

"(It's not healing itself yet. Why has it not begun to heal?)" asked one of the men.

The one with the blade shrugged. "(It's probably holding back it's abilities so it won't reveal it's true nature yet. Let's try it again.)" He took the blade and slashed a large cut on both of my thighs. I screamed even more. I did not know how I was still awake with all the pain. My vision was turning fuzzy from all the blood I had lost. There was eventually an end to this. Right...?

I do not remember blacking out, but after he had cut my thighs, I was taken out and put back in my cell. Espyon had me lying naked on the bed. She was tenderly wrapping my body and both of my legs with gauze. I hurt all over. It hurt to breathe, my throat raw from my cries. I hated it. I hated them. I hated this place. I wanted to go home. I wished this was a dream. A horribly, evil world my subconscious had created as I slept. But the pain told me it was a reality I had been thrust into.

I lay on the bed as silent tears fell down my face. Espyon was kind enough to wipe them away and gently stroke my hair. She was so sweet to me that I could not figure out how she arrived in such a horrible place among these wicked people. I prayed to God that Erwin would come get me soon.

…_**Four months later…**_

I had been in and out of that cell so many times I had lost track of time. Sometimes they would get me twice in the same day. Or at least I figured it was the same day. But everyday was basically the same thing. Espyon would give me water and food and most of the time a new note from Erwin. I came to look to him as my saving grace who would someday come for me; the only hope I had left. Though something inside of me told me I was clinging to a false hope. I was going to die here. Eventually those people were going to kill me before I even had a chance of being rescued. How I was still alive now was an amazing feat by itself.

After Espyon would feed me, she would leave. Then several minutes later the two other soldiers would come and take me back down to the cellar and the men in lab coats would do their "work" on me. Since I could not walk after the first time, the soldiers had to carry me down to the cellar, but they were, by no means, gentle. By about the fifth or sixth time I was down there, I had forgotten why I was even in this situation, but then I would recognize the word they used for me. _Titan Shifter._ Had I not proven myself innocent of this? What more proof do they want of my humanity?

Sometime during my captivity they had sheared my long, once honey colored hair. It was now just a bit longer than Espyon's but uneven and scraggly. I had not looked at myself in the mirror for a long time. I had pretty much forgotten what I looked like. I was absolutely positive I did not look like I did before. I just knew I probably looked like something that someone had thrown away and left out in the dirt for a long time. Disheveled, bony, and unwanted.

Slowly, I realized I had begun to forget my own world as well as my face. My own family and friends. What was it like to be with them? I could barely remember my own mother's face. I still knew how to read and most of the things I learned in school, but even those were becoming vague memories. English was getting harder and harder for me to understand. I found myself understanding bits and pieces of soldiers' conversations. I was unsure of when it began to make sense to me, but I did not like understanding what I heard. It was always negative or sexual or gossip. I hated it. Sometimes, Espyon would speak quietly to me, but it was usually only a few sentences. I liked it when she talked because it was always kind, never like any of the other soldiers' conversations.

I had lost count around the number thirteen of how many times I had been down to the cellar. I had pretty much given up screaming in pain every time they put a new device on my skin or somewhere else in my body. One could also say that I had given up on life totally, but who could blame me?

Then one day, as usual, Espyon awoke me from a restless sleep. She had a frantic look in her normally quiet eyes. Quickly she handed me a note and fidgeted uncomfortably as I read. The only word it read was this:

_Tonight._

* * *

**Sorry I have to cut this one short! And I did warn you about this torture scene so don't be mad at me, please! I did not have fun writing this chapter as much as you probably think I did. I really like Ariadne and I want to apologize to her for putting her through this kind of trauma. D:**

**Anyway, despite this being a wicked chapter, I hope you continue reading. At the moment I don't think I'll have any other parts like this, but it depends on what else I come up with.**

**I kinda think that the Military Police (for the most part) have lost their sense of humanity. Only a few of them actually believe in Humanity (like Espyon (OC)). This is my take on them but you may think different. **

**Please leave a review for what you thought! Thanks for reading! There will be an update next month!**


	7. Rescue: Part 2

**So I know I said to wait for an update next month, but I hated leaving you guys with a torture scene so here's something to make up for it. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Tonight._

Tonight?! Did he really mean that? I started to hyperventilate. I was unaware of the tears flowing down my cheeks. _I'm saved, _I thought. Finally I was getting out of this hell. But…what if it was going to get worse after this? What if here was better than anywhere else? I shook my head. No. Erwin said he was going to rescue me. He did not seem like someone to go back on their word.

I looked to Espyon. "What now? Do I just sit here and wait for him?" She stared quietly back, obviously not understanding me. I shrugged my shoulders. Espyon was already used to me talking to myself. "I mean, it's not like I can do much else," I reasoned. I was now free to roam around the cell so I liberally paced back and forth. I had been here long enough that they realized I was not able to escape on my own so they took away my chains.

I tried to remember the route they took to bring me down here after the trial. Darn my past-self! Why had I been thrashing so much? Oh, right. I did not want to be held captive that's why. I messed with the end of the long shirt they had given me to wear. It only came about halfway down my thighs. I rubbed my head, trying to picture the hallways and doors. No matter how hard I tried, I could not picture anything clearly. How was the Survey Corps suppose to get me out of here?

I scratched my head. Something startled me, making me jump. It was only Espyon opening the door to my cell. She looked back at me then walked towards me. She held me at arms length and gently checked the wrappings around my body, making sure they were clean and tight. "(We'll see each other again soon.)" She kissed my cheek softly and then exited the cell, locking it behind her.

When she exited, another soldier greeted her. I had not noticed him standing at the end of the hallway. I leaned against the metal bars, to eavesdrop. I could hear a few of their words, but it was hard to make it all out. "(…Titan Shifter… Today… No, here… Poison… 24…)" Espyon glanced back in my direction and I fell away from the bars.

I sighed and then laid down on the bed. It was never comfortable, but it was better than nothing. I positioned my body in such a way that it would not hurt, although that was hard to do. I took off the shirt and tossed it aside. There was so much wrapping on my body I practically did not need anything to cover me. Looking down at my body, a long, straight red scar continued to heal. They had done other experiments, and even some tried-and-failed interrogations. Of course I could tell them nothing.

My arms were almost fully wrapped, but they were loose enough I could easily move my arms without much restriction. My legs were wrapped here and there, but not as much as my arms were. My chest was bound in gauze and a small patch was placed just to the right of my bellybutton. I was so grateful to Espyon. I had no idea how I could possibly thank or make it up to her.

I heard the doorway down the hall open then close. I was alone now. I could only think of different things to do when I was free, but sleep over took my body and thrust me into darkness.

I do not remember what I dreamt, but I was awoken by someone grabbing my left arm and removing the bandages. Groggily, I looked to see one of the men in the lab coats. He was holding a syringe with a white liquid in his hand. I laid motionless, pretending to still be asleep, as he pressed the long needle into my skin and shot the liquid into my body. When he was finished rewrapping the bandages, he stood up. "(That should take care of you in 24 hours. It'll all look like natural causes.)" He sounded relieved.

I did not move until he had shut the door and was out of sight. I swiftly unwrapped the bandages and examined my arm. My skin was turning pale ever so slowly. What the heck did he just inject into me? A few seconds later, I felt extremely hot. Sweat seemed to burst out of my pores, quickly dripping down my neck and my face. It was getting harder to breathe. I laid myself down on my back and focused on breathing. Everything hurt so much. I wanted to rip the bandages off of me so I could cool down, but that would not help me in any way.

As I lay getting feverishly hot, I did not noticed how much time had passed, nor when sounds of attack came from outside the hallway door, nor when the paleness of my skin had spread throughout my whole arm. It was up to my shoulder now and creeping towards my neck and down my chest.

Several loud bangs resounded through the stone underground, echoing off the walls and piercing my ears. I could hear someone rushing towards my cell. By this time, my breathing was somewhat controlled, but my fever was getting worse it seemed. I felt like my whole body was on fire, especially where my skin had paled. Someone had opened my cell door and was walking towards me, their silhouette blocking out the light source in the hall.

I felt an arm behind my back and the other around my front in an embrace. I did not recognize the scent nor the touch, but I knew it was not Espyon's. I laid my head on the broad chest, which could not have been helped because the person was gently holding me against them.

I was so hot.

I could feel the person's hand tenderly stroking what was left of my scraggly, short hair. Their face felt like it was pressed against my forehead, kissing me lovingly. Their whispers made no sense to me. I had not heard it for a long time. It sounded so sweet. My name.

I was so hot.

I was finally able to look up at the person who held me in the embrace. My feverish brain could not comprehend that I was staring up into the blue eyes of the Commander himself. I could not wrap my brain around the fact that it was _me_ in his arms. It was _me_ he was kissing on the forehead. It was _me_ he was rescuing. My hero had come in my last hours.

I was so hot. I had to have been hallucinating.

The arm around my front was removed and went beneath my knees. With little effort, I was lifted off the mattress and covered with the thin blanket. He turned around and carried me out of the cell. I was not sure, but I believe I saw Espyon standing near the door, as if she was waiting for him to take me to safety.

I passed out in his arms before we even left the hallway.

I was so hot.

I awoke to someone pressing a cold cloth to my forehead. I was not hot anymore. In fact, I felt better than I had in a long time. That was the first thing that did not make sense to me. The second thing that did not make sense was that my bed was comfortable. (Since when did I start thinking that?) Thirdly, I had remembered being carried out of my cell, but nothing after that. Where could I have gone? No way would the Military Police give me better treatment.

I opened my eyes to look at the person holding the wet cloth. I was not surprised to see Espyon by my side, caring for me. She had on a different uniform jacket now, one with a Survey Corps insignia. Quietly, she continued to press the cloth to my face and every once in a while refresh it with clean water.

Water.

My thirst was needing desperately to be quenched. I opened my dry and cracked lips and croaked out, "Water…"

Espyon quickly grabbed a pitcher and cup and filled it. After slowly sitting me up some, I managed to drink a few gulps from the cup without choking. Once I had had enough, she stood and left the room.

I took this opportunity to glance around my surroundings. I was in a bedroom instead of a cell. The sheets were crisp and clean and cream colored. A nightstand was to my left and the wall to my right. A lone chair sat in front of the nightstand where Espyon had been sitting. Sunshine peeked through the curtains over the window to my left. A dresser was across the room in the other corner from the bed. From my corner of the room, I could see the door straight across from me.

As I looked at the door, it opened and four people walked into the room. I recognized them all. First was Erwin, then Hanji, then Levi, and lastly Espyon.

Hanji smiled brightly at me. "(You're alive! We were so worried about you!)"

"(Sorry we could not come any sooner,)" Erwin apologized. "(Things did not go as planned.)"

Levi cleared his throat. "(Erwin, Hanji, aren't you forgetting she doesn't understand us?)" He handed the cell phone to the blond.

"(I hadn't forgotten,)" he replied, taking the device. "(Some things are better said verbally.)"

While they talked, Espyon had helped prop me up with the pillow. My head spun, but I wanted to stay upright. Especially in front of high ranking officers. "It's so good you see you all," I said with a weak smile and voice. "I see you still have my phone."

They all turned to me. Erwin sat down in the chair beside the bed. _We've been waiting for you to wake up. We thought we had lost you._

_-Lost me? How?_

_-They had injected a poison that would kill you in 24 hours. Thankfully, we arrived when we did otherwise you probably would have died. It's been almost a week so we believe you're doing alright._

I creased my eyebrows. I was asleep for a week? Dang.

Erwin continued. _We had Espyon take care of you as our spy. She did her job well, wouldn't you say?_

I nodded. _Extremely. I am in her debt. _When I had sat up, I did not realize I was not wearing a shirt. The bandages around my chest hung loosely around my bony figure. I took the blanket and covered my chest, feeling self conscious.

Levi narrowed his eyes and took the phone. _They really did terrible things to you I see._

"(Levi, there's no reason to mention that,)" scolded Hanji. "(I'm sure she already knows about her body.)"

He shrugged and then crossed his arms while leaning against the wall. Erwin took the phone again. He asked me to tell him what happened to me. After getting a few more drinks of water, I managed to tell him through the phone the story. Even though I understood them when they talked, I still did not know how to speak like them. I had to use my phone still. I told them about this.

"(Then we don't have to use this device to speak to you?)" Hanji asked.

I shook my head. _No, but I still need it to reply. Know of anybody who could teach me to speak?_

They all looked at each other. "(None of us are very good teachers,)" said Erwin sheepishly. "(Especially in linguistics.)"

I frowned. _Espyon, could you possibly teach me?_

My companion looked at me quietly and shrugged her shoulders. "(I suppose I can,)" she replied softly.

"(Excellent,)" said Erwin. "(Espyon, I'm sure you could teach her well. You both already seem to understand each other anyway.)"

Espyon nodded and saluted. "(I'll be back soon with a meal, Ariadne.)" She turned on her heels and left the room.

Erwin turned to Hanji and Levi. "(Do you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?)" he asked.

Hanji and Levi looked at each other. "(Sure, I guess,)" replied Levi, pushing himself off the wall and following after Hanji out of the room.

The blond turned back to me. "(I'm sorry we couldn't come get you sooner.)"

_How long was I there? _It had been at least August when I arrived at the University before coming here.

"(About four months,)" he replied after a moment. "(We were unsure if you were still alive for a while. Espyon had to keep under cover without being caught with the messages from me. Some people came suspicious of her so we had to come get you both soon.)"

I turned and looked at the wall. Four months? That means I turned twenty a month ago. October 14. _Thank you. _I turned back to look at him.

"(For what?)"

_Saving me._

"(We waited too long.)"

_I'm alive._

He looked at the bandages on my arms and body. He took in my short, disheveled hair. He took my hand in his and held it gently, as if not wanting to break me anymore than I already was. He looked as if he was restraining himself. His eyebrows creased in frustration. We sat in silence, taking in each other.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the door opened and Espyon walked in, carrying a tray of food. Erwin let go of my hand before she saw. She asked the Commander to stand so she could sit and feed me. He obliged. "(I'll be by as much as I can,)" he said. I was unsure whether he was talking to me or Espyon.

Espyon nodded and watched him leave, I read an expression on her face I could not understand. She turned back to me and began to slowly feed me the food on the tray. I could not help but wonder what Erwin was about to say before Espyon walked into the room. I was confused.

* * *

**I hope that makes up for any angst I may have caused you last chapter! (forgive me!)**

**Anyway, I had more fun writing this chapter than the previous one because of the cuteness of it. Hope you enjoyed and please leave a review! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Rescue: Part 3

I stared at her from across the courtroom. I hated the way they held her down. I hated the way they treated her. I already knew they went against my orders not to hurt her because she had been asleep for a day and a half. There was no other way she would have been asleep for that long.

I only partially listened to the Judge speak. I was too focused on looking at her, memorizing her face and the color of her hair. When he asked her to defend herself I willed her to say something. Anything. She put her head down and stared at the floor. What was she doing? Did she not realize the danger she was in? On the outside I was calm, but on the inside I was crying out.

I knew I should have let them know about the language barrier. Why had I left that crucial detail out? I felt like an idiot. I was about to say something when the Judge started to speak again.

"Very well then, because the subject has refused to answer the question, she will go to the Military Police for experimentation on her person. That is my final decision." The gavel went down. That was the verdict. She would be given to the Military Police. She stared desperately at me as they dragged her away. I could hear her cries of protest even after the courtroom doors had slammed shut and the din of everyone leaving protruded my ears.

I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair. I was a fool.

"Damn," said my companion, Levi. "Would have thought she would have said something. She was so outspoken before."

I shook my head again. "No. We should have said something about it first." I gripped the railing in front of me, my nails digging into the wood.

Levi glanced around the room. "We'll talk about this in a moment. Not here."

We exited with the rest of the crowd, Hanji sulking in front of us. "I really liked her…" she mumbled sadly. None of us said anything else until we had entered the carriage waiting to take us back to our hotel. It was too late in the day to go back to the Survey Corps Headquarters.

Levi sat across from me with his arms crossed like usual. Hanji sat quietly to my right, still pouting. "So, let me guess," started Levi after the carriage lurched forward, "you want to devise a plan to go and rescue the girl."

"You and I both know she's not a Titan Shifter," I replied matter-of-factly.

"Does it make it worth the risk? Sending in a platoon of men just to rescue someone who isn't even of our world?" Levi leaned forward, his hands intertwined in front of him. "Commander, before you order anything rashly, I suggest you think hard and deep about this."

"Don't tell me how to do my job," I snapped. "And who said anything about sending in a whole platoon?"

"Hey, you two," Hanji scolded. "Knock it off." She stared at us harshly. "We may all have different takes on this situation, but the Corporal is right. If we are to do something about it, we need time to think of something."

I sighed heavily and leaned back on the hard cushion. I crossed my arms over my chest. "Then we do all agree to get her out of there." It was more of a rhetorical question, but they both nodded. "Alright then. I believe I know of something that may work, of course, not every detail is finite." I explained to them how I planned to use Espyon to take care of Ariadne and send her notes while she was in the Military Police's custody, but first I needed Ariande's bag. "I can't communicate with her unless I have that device of hers. It's the only way."

"How do you expect to get her things?" asked Hanji.

"Again, Espyon will have to retrieve those things. She should be getting them now. She is not well recognized as a Survey Corps member so she will be able to blend into the background of the Military Police," I replied.

"Wouldn't some of the other members get suspicious of her though?" Levi said. "If she shows up without new recruits arriving then she will stand out."

"There's already a new unit of recruits coming in tonight. She can fall in with them."

Hanji shook her head. "I still think she would be found out too early," she stated concernedly.

I shook my head. "Have a little faith," I urged. "Trust me, and Espyon, she can do it."

Hanji and Levi glanced at each other skeptically. Levi threw his hands up into the air. "Fine. It's not like we have any other ideas."

* * *

It had been four months since Ariadne was taken into the Military Police's custody. Unlike what I told her, I was unable to go and visit her during this time. The reports I received from Espyon were horrific, but they were few and far between. I wanted to know what was happening to Ariadne. I cringed when I read of her first injury down her body. I could feel the pain as if the blade were passing through my own skin. (I have felt the sharp edge from my 3D maneuver gear cut me before).

Finally it had come to the point where we (Levi and myself) were able to perfect the rescue plan. I did not intend for it to take as long as it did. We waited until the night to ambush the jail cells. There were only seven of us, not including Espyon, who was already inside. I was to meet her near the courtroom entrance. From there, we would fight our way down to Ariadne's cell, but we had no intention of killing anyone.

Levi directed the other five people to other places so they would distract the Military Police while I went inside. It started out perfectly, but before I could go rendezvous with Espyon, a woman stopped me.

She was Military Police, but she did not look intimidating. She held out a sword towards me, but it was visibly shaking. "I-I don't want to hurt you, C-commander Erwin," she said, her eyes trying to stay in a glare.

I sighed heavily and irritably. I did not have time for this. I rushed at her and grabbed her wrist, twisting it hard and holding it against her back until she dropped the weapon. She was about to cry out, but I managed to put my other hand over her mouth before she could make a sound.

"I don't want to hurt you either," I whispered. "I have no time to deal with you. Please, I ask that you leave and forget you ever saw me. I will do the same for you. Deal?" She slowly nodded and went slack under my grip. I let her go. She then bent down, picked up her weapon, and sheathed it, walking away from me in the opposite direction I was heading.

I continued on to meet Espyon. "Sorry if I'm late," I said hurriedly.

"Just follow me," Espyon replied, seemingly ignoring my apology.

She led me down numerous flights of stairs and through various corridors. Somewhere along the line, the wooden walls changed into stone. They were dimly lit by fire torches on the walls. She stopped in front of a heavy metal door and tried to push it open.

"That's odd," she said. "Normally it's unlocked."

"Hang on," I said. "Stand back." I kicked hard on the door several times before the lock broke apart and the door burst open.

"You know, you didn't need to break it open," Espyon said, holding up a key-ring with several keys on it.

"Yeah, well..."

I practically ran inside the next hallway to the only cell in the corridor, Espyon close behind me with a key to unlock it. Once it was undone, I opened the door and stepped inside. I hardly recognized the figure on the bed as Ariadne. She was much skinnier than when I had last seen her. Her hair was short and mangled. She was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. She was covered in bandages. When I got closer I noticed the skin on her left arm and shoulder had turned white. She had been poisoned.

I kneeled beside her bed and put my arm behind her back, supporting her upward, and wrapped my other arm around her front, embracing her. I was so glad she was still alive, but probably not for much longer. I was hardly aware of my own actions of kissing her and stroking what was left of her hair and saying her name.

I looked down into her face for a minute. Her eyes tried to focus on my own, but she was burning hot. It would not surprise me if she believed this moment to be imagined, but I was okay with that. I kept my right arm behind her back and held my left arm under her knees to pick her up. She weighed almost nothing. I grabbed the blanket underneath her to cover her as we exited the cell. Espyon waited for us outside the metal bars.

"She's been poisoned. We need to get her back now." Espyon nodded and led us out of the dank underground. I would like to say that the return home went smoothly, but it was better than it could have been. Espyon and I met with Levi and the rest of the team outside the Military Police headquarters. Ariadne had passed out way before we were even out of the underground. Instead of taking a carriage, which was way too slow for my taste, we went ahead on horse back. It was awkward carrying Ariadne on the horse at first, but as the rhythm of the horse's hooves steadied, holding her in front of me became easier.

When we arrived a few hours later in the Survey Corps Infirmary, Ariadne's skin had turned so pale I was sure she was already dead in my arms, if it was not for the heat radiating from her body. Hanji along with other nurses and doctors made sure that the antidote was ready and given to her immediately. I stayed outside of the infirmary with Levi, waiting for any news of her condition.

"Commander Erwin, sir." A cadet had approached us with a letter in his hand. "A letter from Commander Pixis." I took the envelope as the cadet saluted then departed.

I glanced at Levi. "How is it that this man knows everything I do?" I said with a small chuckle, while opening the envelope.

Levi shrugged. "Has eyes and ears everywhere I suppose."

_Commander Erwin, your presence is requested with Commander Pixis this morning at 9 o'clock to discuss recent events._

I sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. "It's already 8:30. I should probably be going." I rubbed my tired eyes. I had not slept all night. "Let me know if something happens, would you?" I said to Levi.

He nodded. "Don't worry."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Well, Erwin, it seems you have had a busy evening." Commander Pixis took a sip from his tea cup and set it gently down on the saucer in his other hand.

"Oh?" I replied taking a drink from my own. "Why would you think that?" I rested my ankle across my opposite knee.

"For one, you look as if you've been running from a Titan all night," he replied with a laugh.

I shrugged. "You could say that."

He set his cup down on the table between us. "Erwin, you're playing a dangerous game, you know that."

"Enlighten me incase I don't."

"Stealing, or kidnapping however you want to put it, from the Military Police. Breaking and entering." He leaned back and settled his hands in his lap. "The judge said she was to go to the Military Police until they could prove her humanity."

"They had her for four months. I figured they would have figured it out by now," I replied sharply.

Pixis put his hand up, silencing me. "As far as the Interior knows now is a bunch of rebels came last night and attack them." He stared at me intensely. "Though I doubt a nice boy like you would have anything to do with that."

I shook my head and smiled. "No, nothing like that."

"As for the Titan Shifter, it died of natural causes and its body was taken out and burned, eradicating it from ever returning to torment humanity." He reached for his tea again and downed the rest of it. He shook his head in disgust. "I never was a big fan of tea. It's just over praised leaf water." He pulled a silver flask out of his pocket. "This is more what I like." He put the flask to his lips and took a long draw from it, heaving out a satisfied sigh afterwards.

"Where do you get that stuff?" I asked him in mock curiosity.

"If I told you, I wouldn't have any for myself!" he said with a laugh.

I laughed as well. "Well thank you for filling me in on these events." We both stood and shook hands. "I expect to keep in contact like always?"

"I will let you know if I hear anything," Pixis replied.

"Thank you," I said as I headed toward the door.

"Get some sleep," he ordered with another laugh.

"I'll try my best."

* * *

In fact I could not sleep. No matter how exhausted I may have been, I could not fall asleep. Levi told me Ariadne was reacting well to the antidote she was given. As far as anyone knew, she was sleeping everything off.

I ordered Espyon to be there when she awoke and to keep her fever down. I wanted to know the minute she was awake. I would have stayed awake the entire time Ariadne was sleeping, but she was out for a whole week, I had to sleep sometime.

I was resting my eyes at my desk over a pile of paperwork when someone entered my office. Lazily, I opened to peek at whomever had entered. Espyon saluted. "She's awake," she announced.

Immediately, I stood and followed her towards the room where Ariadne was staying. Levi and Hanji met us on the way there. When we entered the room, Espyon propped Ariadne up with a pillow. The color of her skin looked healthier. Her hair was still messy. She was not wearing any clothing, but the bandages and blankets covered her enough. I could see a bright red scar running down the middle of her chest. She smiled when she saw us walk into the room.

"(It's so good you see you all,)" she said with a weak voice. "(I see you still have my phone.)" She pointed to the device in Levi's hand.

We had a small conversation back and forth with the device. I was surprised to find that she was able to understand us without using the device too much. I asked her to tell us what she experienced, but after a while it was too much for her. She had to stop.

I sat down in the chair beside the bed then asked everyone else to leave. When they had left the room, I took Ariande's hand in my own. It was much softer than I (for some reason) expected it to be.

She watched as I gently stroked her skin with my thumb. "I'm sorry we couldn't come get you sooner."

_How long was I there? _When I told her how long she was in captivity, she stared down at her lap and then at the wall, avoiding my gaze.

_Thank you._

"For what?"

_Saving me._

"We waited too long."

_I'm alive._

She was looking at me now. I opened my mouth to apologize more. I'm sorry for being a fool. I'm sorry for all the things they did to you. I'm sorry for leaving you alone. _At least she is alive._ I held my tongue. I wanted to say more and more apologies, but I knew they would not make up for anything.

I paused. Why was I so intent on protecting her? Why did I want to say these things to her? I did not understand myself. It was so frustrating! This girl whom I had only seen for not even two weeks had already dug under my skin and into my head. I do not even remember ever thinking like this before. Not about anyone.

Espyon entered the room carrying a tray of food. I quickly let go of Ariadne's hand, hoping Espyon had not seen. (Why did I care anyway?) "Commander, could you please get out of the chair so I can give Ariadne her meal?"

"Right, sorry." I stood and switched places with her. "I'll be by as much as I can," I said as I exited the room. I could feel both of their eyes on my back as I left. I was so confused.

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**Awww poor Erwin. I hope you like this point of view switch. I was just trying it out for this chapter. Next chapter will be back to Ariadne's perspective. On another note, this is my longest chapter yet! I feel like it's too much when I write this long of a chapter .A.**

**And I'm tired of changing my mind so much. I realized I have more free time than I think so I'm just going to update whenever I have time. That is my final take on that.**

**If you aren't caught up with the manga then you need to be! No spoilers, but I was freaking out this most recent chapter that came out. If you haven't read that yet, go do it now! (Off the top my head I believe it's chapter 62 that just came out a few days or so ago).**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review!**


	9. Nightmares and Dreams

**Don't worry, the action will be picking up again soon! Just bear with me for another chapter or so!**

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Espyon awoke me once again. "(Ariadne, it's only a dream! It's only a dream!)" she assured me, trying to calm me down. The blankets were twisted around my legs, making me panic even more.

"They were…! They were coming after me…! With a knife!" I cried out between short, gasping breaths. "They were going to put it through my heart!" I started to sob and held on tightly to Espyon, putting my head against her chest.

She held me in an embrace. "(You're alright now. You're safe.)" She repeated these phrases softly and gently while slowly rocking me back and forth. "(You're alright.)"

It was only a nightmare. Something I had been having ever since I got out of that dreaded place. I almost did not want to sleep because of them. I would dream I was in that torture chamber being hurt even more. All of my hope gone. All of my thoughts of survival diminished. Most of the time I could feel the pain as if it were happening all over again. I wanted to die.

Espyon held me at arms length and wiped away my tears. "(Come on,)" she said, standing up and taking both of my hands. "(You need a bath.)" She helped me stand and put one arm around her shoulder. Slowly, we walked towards the bathroom. I had been bedridden for so long that I could not walk without help. Thankfully, Espyon was about my height so it was more comfortable.

While the tub filled with warm water, and with Espyon's help, I managed to take off the long shirt and the old bandages and step into the deep tub. The warm water felt amazing. I remember the last time I had had a real shower was when Hanji let me use her bathroom (that was nearly 5 months ago now). Espyon had taken off her military jacket and the button up shirt she was wearing under it, keeping her white tank top on. She kneeled beside the tub and used a cloth to gently clean my skin.

I can not begin to describe how wonderful it felt. The water dripping down my body. The soap washing away every bit of dirt and grime I possibly had. My hair had come out in small patches, but after being rescued nearly a month ago, it was already beginning to have new hair take its place. Steam rose up around me, fogging up the mirror over and the small window above the tub.

The Military Police did not care if I was clean or not. They only cared if the dried blood on me was cleared off so they could see the effects of their "work." Multiple times, they would stick me in a shower room and then throw a bucket of water on me to wash away the looser things. Here, Espyon could clean me with a rag and a pitcher of soapy water (because of the seriousness of my wounds, I was unable to take a full bath. She was afraid I would get sick from whatever was in the tub water).

When I was completely clean, Espyon drained the water and then helped me back out of the tub. Carefully, she patted the most of me dry with a towel, leaving certain areas for me to dry myself. After putting her shirt and jacket back on, she then took clean bandages and rewrapped my remaining wounds (which thankfully were far fewer now than they had been) and dressed me in a new shirt and loose fitting pants. Once again, we made the slow trek back to the bed.

"(Get some sleep,)" she told me before leaving me to my thoughts.

As soon as she left, I pushed the blankets off of me and pushed myself up to a sitting position. My head spun for a second before clearing. I grabbed the chair that was still beside the bed and leaned on it so I could stand. I managed to scoot the chair across the floor to the window beside the side table. I was able to support myself on the back of the chair and then on the window sill. I had not looked outside of the window since I arrived here.

Once my eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, I could see a courtyard below. There were soldiers walking around, some leading horses by their reigns while others stood by and conversed. I was surprised (although not really) to see Armin and Mikasa down there. They were cleaning two brown horses.

I watched them for several minutes. I nearly fell from my position at the window when I heard the door open, scaring me. "(I thought I told you to go to sleep,)" Espyon said with a chuckle. "(I came to check on you.)"

"I wanted to look outside," I muttered as she led me back to the bed.

"(Get some sleep,)" Espyon said again. "(I'll take you outside tomorrow.)"

_Then what?_ I asked.

She shrugged. "(Dunno.)" I rolled my eyes. "(We'll wait and see. Go to sleep.)"

Again, when she shut the door and I waited for a few minutes before I reached for the chair again and supported myself towards the window. It had not changed much in the last couple of minutes I was not looking out of it. Instead of looking down at the courtyard, I looked around the surrounding area. As I had suspected, I was in a stone castle. The woods beyond the courtyard were thick with empty trees and other browned plants. Since the seasons had changed, there were more bare trees than green. I knew I was at least a few several stories up. From the looks of things, it was beginning to get dark. Evening was coming fast. I knew Espyon would be back soon with food and then she would leave again. I made my way back to the bed and sat down.

I do not ever remember there being a mirror from across the room, but I suddenly noticed someone looking at me. They were dressed in loose-fitting clothing. Their hair was very short and a dusty light brown. Their eyes large and light colored. Their face was shallow but healthier looking than it probably once was. Skinny arms and legs poked out from inside of the clothing. It had never occurred to me that I was not wearing any shoes until now. I had come to terms with it quickly, but that was my own reflection. Did I look anything like the girl from five months ago? Definitely not.

I lifted my shirt to see what the rest of my body looked like. It was just as skinny (only healthier than it had been) and covered in scars, a large light pink scar ran down my middle. I wanted to cry. Sure, nothing that had happened to me was my fault, but it still hurt to see what I had lost physically. Now with night coming, I was to be forced into a dream-world of Hell. Mentally, I had no idea what I was losing, or had already lost.

I pulled my shirt back down and curled up on the mattress below me, hiding my face in the pillow. I heard the door open, but I did not look up to see who it was, but I already knew it was Espyon bringing a tray of food. I recognized her light footsteps coming across the room. I could also hear the clanking of dishes as she set the tray down on the side table. Once I had gained enough strength, she stopped feeding me and allowed me to feed myself. It felt good to do something for myself instead of having her do it for me.

I felt her hand on my back, rubbing it gently. "(Be sure to eat your dinner before you go to bed okay?)" She knew I had not fallen asleep. She knew I would probably leave the dinner untouched for the rest of the night. I nodded into the pillow anyway, not looking up at her as she left. Not wanting to see her sympathetic expression. That was all anyone ever had for me. Sympathy.

I was the girl who had shown up out of thin air and was nearly killed by a Titan. I was the girl who did not know the language. I was the one who did not say anything in the courtroom. I was the reason Espyon had to do every simple task I could not do. It was _me_ who made Erwin and the rest of them risk their lives to come and save me from my own Hell. _They_ are the ones who have grown up in Hell.

I wanted to do something more than just be a burden to everyone.

I did not want people to look at me like I was weak and feeble all the time. No more nightmares. No more having Espyon's help with taking care of myself. I was going to get strong. I was going to adapt to this world if it was the last thing I ever did.

I was running through a large forest. I could hear a rhythmic boom sounding behind me, getting closer no matter how fast I ran. The sound of breaking ground and limbs echoed all around me. First mistake: I looked behind me. Second mistake: I tripped over my own feet. Third mistake: I did not pick myself up right away.

I felt a large hand grab me from behind. I could see the ground getting farther and farther away. Then I was face to face with a door-sized set of razor sharp teeth. I screamed and squirmed as much as I could, hitting the Titan's hand with my own tiny fists. The creature seemed to be smiling at me, mocking me silently. It opened it's huge jaws, bringing me towards its steaming hot and wet mouth. I shut my eyes, not wanting to watch myself be eaten.

When I opened them again, I was back in the cellar of the Military Police. People in white lab coats surrounded me, each of them holding a syringe full of some kind of liquid. I crouched in a dark corner, trying desperately to get away from them all. My fingers clawed at the stone, trying to either climb it or dig a hole through it with bloody fingertips. As I slashed at the brick, the people turned into black dogs, barking and gnashing their teeth at me. I screamed even louder than I had when the Titan had grabbed me.

Once of the dogs had leaped and bit down hard into my shoulder. The others followed suit, each of them grabbing onto some part of me. I screamed and cried as I felt the pain rush through me and the blood burst out.

"(Ariadne, wake up! Wake up!)"

Someone was shaking me awake and out of my nightmare. The hands on my shoulders were too strong to be Espyon's. I then found myself staring once again into the blue eyes of Commander Erwin. It was dark in the room, except for one lantern he had set on the floor beside the bed.

"(Are you alright?)" he asked, lessening his grip on my shoulders. I nodded and wiped my face. It was wet with both sweat and tears. He handed me the phone. "(Want to tell me about it?)"

I shook my head no. What_ are you doing in here?_ I asked. _How did you know I was having a nightmare?_

"(I heard you crying out in your sleep,)" he replied. "(I was walking around checking on the cadets like I usually do on nights I can't sleep. I decided to check on you too.)"

I was flattered, but I did not know whether to accept his kindness or thank him and then politely ask him to leave so I could go back to sleep (or back to hellish dreaming, whichever came first).

_Thank you._

We sat in silence for a while. He looked at the tray sitting untouched on the side table. "(Did you not eat?)"

_I wasn't hungry._

"(You of all people need to eat.)"

I pointed to the message on the screen again. _I wasn't hungry._

Erwin creased his eyebrows. "(Be sure to eat something tomorrow morning then.)" I nodded my head. He stood and grabbed the lantern sitting on the floor. "(Good night,)" he said as he started out the door.

"Erwin, wait." My voice surprised him. He stopped in the doorway and turned to look back at me.

"(Yes?)"

_Stay here with me. _I moved over to the far side of the bed to make room.

He raised his eyebrows. "(…Why…?)"

_You said you couldn't sleep. Well neither can I. I dunno how to explain it without making it seem sexual, but that's not what I want. I just want to sleep without nightmares._

He turned back into the room and shut the door behind him. "(Just for tonight,)" he said as he crossed the room and sat back down on the bed. He set the lantern on the side table and turned the flame down low. He removed his boots and set them neatly beside the side table. He laid down beside me and then allowed me to get comfortable beside him. It was awkward at first since I had never slept next to anyone since I was little. After a few shifts of position, my head was nestled on his shoulder while his arm was around me. My hand was on his chest, absentmindedly playing with a buckle on the straps that wrapped around his body. (Did these people ever take them off? They were probably too annoying to put them on and off all the time.)

Slowly but surely, I ended up falling asleep without having any nightmares for the first time in months.

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**We will pick back up here next chapter. What's in store for Ariadne now? **

**I'm so excited because this story has really taken off! Thanks to everyone who has read it so far! Keep doing what you're doing you amazing people you! :)**

**Don't forget to write a review if you'd like! :D**


	10. Incidents (Among Other Things)

**I'm sorry for the delay in this next chapter! Band and school have been keeping me super busy! I'm kinda behind on some homework so I need to focus on that for a while. Enjoy this chapter until next time!**

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For once, I awoke myself. The sunlight was just barely peeking through the curtains, telling me it was very early morning. The flame of the lantern had burned out. It took me a moment to remember that I had not slept alone. Commander Erwin was still asleep beside me. We had not changed position all night. My head still rested on his shoulder. His arm was still around me. My hand was still on his chest. It was very comfortable, but my shoulder underneath me was cramping up. I needed to move, however, I did not want to just yet.

I looked up at Erwin, his face relaxed as he slept. His breathing was slow and even. His blond hair was only slightly out of place. He had tilted his head to the side, his sleeping expression was faced towards me, as if he fell asleep watching over me.

By this point, my shoulder was screaming at me in pain, practically begging me to change my position. As gently as I could, I moved Erwin's arm so I could lie on my other side. I heard him take in a deep breath and shift along with me. I turned to look at him and found him staring back.

"(Any nightmares?)" he asked sleepily.

I shook my head. "None."

"(Good,)" he replied then closed his eyes again.

I positioned myself beside him again and also closed my eyes to go back to sleep. Whether it was several minutes or another hour or two later, I awoke to the sound of the door opening. Erwin was awake as well.

Espyon had walked in, but stopped as soon as she saw us in the bed together. Even though her skin was dark, I could see her cheeks turning a bright red. She incoherently said an excuse under her breath and quickly turned and left the room.

Erwin immediately sat up on the mattress. "(Shit,)" he mumbled as he swiftly put his boots on his feet. He left the room just as fast as Espyon had.

I felt ashamed. For what reason I was not entirely sure. We had not done anything remotely wrong, at least none that I knew. I just did not want to have nightmares. I did not even think of anyone finding us together like that.

As I continued to think, I realized what had happened. Espyon had just seen her commanding officer _in_ _my bed. _There had to be some sort of consequence. At least some punishment on someone. Who knew whether it was me, Espyon, or Erwin who were to be the one getting in trouble. That is, if anyone but the three of us knew about it. I could not help but worry.

In agony, I waited for someone, anyone, to come back to my room. I needed to know what was going to happen now. I mentally cursed at myself for not being able to walk on my own just yet. Finally, Espyon came back into my room. She did not say anything to me, despite my questions. She cleaned up the tray I left untouched on the nightstand and left the room again. Several minutes later she returned once again, carrying a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of water.

_Espyon, whatever trouble I may have gotten you in, I am so sorry._ She did not respond to my apology. I continued. _I promise you we did not do anything. He helped keep my nightmares away._

She looked at me with sad eyes. "(I'm not angry with you,)" she said softly. "(None of us are in trouble.)"

I still felt uneasy. It could not have been resolved that quickly. Maybe Erwin would tell me more later. _To change subjects, could you find me a crutch? I want to walk outside today._

"(After you eat,)" she replied, leaving the food and water on the nightstand and leaving once more.

I ate the oatmeal slowly. My stomach was in so many knots it was hard to keep down. With nearly every bite I felt my gut clench. I would have force myself to keep it in my stomach. If I was going to get strong, I would have to gain some weight back.

Espyon returned with a crutch for me to lean on. I slowly pulled myself off of the bed, leaning heavily on the support. She stayed beside me, making sure I did not fall as we slowly made our way downstairs and outside and into the open air.

I was nearly blown over by the wind when we made it to the courtyard. The wind itself was cold, but it was still warmer than I thought it was. Soldiers walked freely around the courtyard. Some of them looked my way and then turned to their companions and whispered quietly to each other. I was not sure if they already knew about the incident from this morning. I would say that I did not care, but I did. So instead I focused on how good it felt to be out in the sun. I turned to Espyon after several minutes of just standing there. _Now what? Should we work on German?_

We had not focused much on it since deciding Espyon would teach me, but I figured it would be a good distraction for the rest of the day. She told me to wait outside for a moment so she could go and get a book. While she was gone, I did not really move from my spot in the courtyard. I only moved to a bench on a far wall.

I kept to myself, but observed what the rest of the soldiers were doing. It seemed as if their routine did not differ much from what I saw yesterday. I saw a few soldiers who were wanting to come up to me, but their comrades kept them to their duties. I then realized how bored I was. I did not dare waste my battery on my phone playing a game or something. It would suck the battery life and I would have to go back inside to get the charger. Just standing was exhausting, let alone the trip downstairs.

Espyon returned about fifteen minutes later carrying a few books. "(What do you want to start on first?)" she asked, letting me flip through the pages. I pointed to one on Titan anatomy. It looked interesting to me. I figured this knowledge would help me in the long run.

The first few pages showed diagrams of certain types of Titans and what they were capable of doing. The next couple of pages pointed out their only weakness: behind their neck. After only a few minutes of learning new vocabulary, a few other soldiers approached us.

"(What are you up to, Darky?)" A red haired soldier questioned. "(Shouldn't you be doing hard labor like the rest of us instead of babysitting a Titan Shifter? Oh, wait, you're too busy pulling double duty and making the rest of us look bad.)" His friends surrounding us nodded in agreement.

Espyon looked down at the book in her lap. "(I was only following the Commander's orders,)" she said quietly. Double duty? I did not know she was not _just_ taking care of me. I felt terrible, once again feeling burdensome, but I was more upset that Espyon was being picked on.

"(Only following the Commander's orders,)" he repeated mockingly. The soldier laughed. "(You're like a lap dog. Always doing what you can to assist him.)" He got down on his knees to be at eye level with Espyon. "(Aren't you, bitch? Tell me, am I right?)" Espyon stayed quiet and avoided his gaze. He grabbed her face and made her look at him. "(Listen, Darky, he doesn't need your help. He doesn't need you and he doesn't want you. He just gives you things to do to keep you occupied. He wouldn't care if you died in a Titan attack. You're a work horse, not one to ride. Lower than dirt.)" He roughly pushed her face out of his hand and spit at her feet. The group around him cheered him on. The soldier's sneer reminded me of a schoolyard bully. I saw Espyon was holding back tears. "(Don't bother trying to get into his bed either, slut. Just because you're the last of your "kind" doesn't mean he'll want to procreate with you.)"

"Hey!" I yelled. They had ignored me for the most part, but now they all looked at me. I struck the soldier in the face with my crutch. He fell to the ground with a thud. "(She is a soldier like the rest of you doing her part for humanity! If you can't see past her skin color and her work ethic, then you are the ones lower than dirt! Go back to your duties and leave Espyon alone!)" I glared at them. The ones surrounding us were shocked to say the least. It took me a moment to realize I had spoken to them in German. More than I thought I knew. What was happening to me?

I turned to Espyon to mention this when I heard Levi's voice yell out over all the whispers and the crowd that had gathered. "(What the hell is going on out here?)" The crowd parted to let him through. The soldier I had knocked down was still on the ground, rubbing his swelling cheek. "(And what the _hell _are you doing in the dirt, cadet?)" he asked harshly.

He pointed at me. "(She hit me with her crutch!)"

Levi looked towards Espyon and me. "(Obviously you gave her a pretty damn good reason to do hit you that hard.)" He crossed his arms and sighed. "(You three, come with me.)" He turned on his heels and began to walk back inside. "(The rest of you, back to work!)"

The soldier on the ground swiftly stood and followed after Levi. Espyon followed after him, but came back to help me stand, but I was already standing and leaning heavily on the crutch. Together we walked back into the castle.

I felt like I was a kid being led to the principal's office, which was probably not a bad comparison. The soldier I knocked down kept glancing back and glaring at Espyon and me. It got annoying after a while so I scowled at him. Espyon kept a quiet demeanor the entire time. We stopped in front of Erwin's office and then were allowed to enter.

"(What's this about?)" Erwin asked from behind his desk. He looked from between the four of us. "(Levi?)"

"(Bit of rough housing. Figured you would like to know about it,)" Levi replied. "(Espyon, please explain what happened.)"

Espyon looked down at her feet, her face turning red again. She avoided looking at Erwin in the face as she explained the situation. My knees began to ache for standing for so long. I sat down heavily in a chair beside me. As I listened, I realized she left out the part of the soldier calling her a slut, among the other things he said to her. I wondered why she had kept quiet about it. When she finished speaking, Erwin crossed his fingers in front of him on the desk. He really did remind me of a principal of a school.

"(What do you suppose we should do about this, Espyon?)" Erwin prompted.

She shrugged, still keeping her eyes on the floor. "(Nothing.)"

"(Nothing?)" He shook his head. "(No, that won't do.)" He turned to look at the red-haired soldier. "(Think she's making you look bad? I doubt that. Highly. Since you think she's working too hard, I think you should take on all of her extra duties. I think that sounds fair.)" He turned to Levi. "(Make sure you show him his new responsibilities. Espyon will have more time to focus on taking care of Ariadne for as long as she needs.)"

Levi smirked slightly. "(Will do. Come on. There's a few stables that need cleaning.)" With a bit of protest, the soldier reluctantly followed Levi out of the room.

Erwin turned his attention towards Espyon. He stood and went to face her in front of the desk. "(Espyon, you are one of my most trusted soldiers. I _would_ care if you died in a Titan attack and don't let anyone make you think different.)" He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "(Please, do not feel like you are any less important to humanity.)"

Finally, Espyon looked up at him, her eyes shining brightly as she stared at him. "(Thank you, Commander Erwin,)" she said softly and gave him a confident salute, her right fist over her heart.

He nodded and saluted back. "(You both can go back to whatever you were doing,)" he said, turning to sit back behind his desk.

"(Wait, Commander Erwin,)" Espyon interjected. "(Something has happened.)"

"(What else could have possibly happened in the last few seconds?)" he questioned.

"(Ariadne doesn't need my help with learning German anymore. Well, perhaps maybe only to read and write in German but she can speak it fairly well,)" she informed him.

"(Oh?)" Erwin sat back in his chair. He faced me. "(How did this happen?)"

I shrugged. "(I don't know,)" I replied honestly. "(I'm losing pretty much all of my English and it's being replaced with German.)" I felt like I was losing a part of me. Something that I wanted to hang on to. Something that could keep me connected to my own world. Language was not the only thing from my world I was losing though.

"(We won't be needing that device of yours then,)" he stated.

I shook my head. "(No.)"

"(That's a relief,)" he said under his breath. He looked back up from the papers on his desk, his face turning serious. "(Ariadne, there is something I wanted to talk to you about. Espyon, you may listen also.)"

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**Well, well, well. Ariande has broken through the language barrier. I'll elaborate more on what else she's losing from her world other than her language in either the next chapter or the coming chapters. I'll try to update as soon as I can!**

**I was kinda in a hurry to write the last part in Erwin's office so if it feels rushed, it's probably because it is.**

**What do you think Erwin has to tell Ariandne and Espyon? **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! You know what to do!**

**Thank for reading!**


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